All-American Cruise-In (+ Chevy Special Meet)


Saturday 29th April
From 4pm
Ace Cafe London’s regular monthly All-American Cruise-In on Saturday 29th April, celebrates the “shoe box” Chevy’s that first came out in 1955 with the then all new V8 engine.
 
Arguably changing the world with the “Turbo-Fire”, from drawing board to production in 15 weeks for the motors with a 2-barrel carburettor, and that was soon available with “Power Pack”, “Super Power Pack” , and 4-barrel carbs as well as those, now very rare, equipped with Rochester Ramjet mechanical fuel injection producing 1hp per cubic inch!
 
This was an engine that delivered performance that had once only been available in exotic sports and luxury cars. The common man or woman could now access the same power, and it was affordable. Chevrolet’s engineer, later General Manager and eventually President of GM, Ed Cole had delivered. The small block V8 laid the groundwork for the most successful auto engine ever to be built. It’s descendants are still powering GM cars, including 70th Anniversary Edition Corvette’s, today.
 
Chevrolet and the “Bow-Tie” was on top of the automotive world in 1955, and its then new V8, dubbed the “hot one”, paved the way for even greater sales growth, see the debut:
The ’55 “shoe box” Chevy was soon identified on screen with the baddies:
American Graffiti – Official Trailer:
American Graffiti – Drag Race at Paradise Road:
Celebrated in the story of two men drag racing across the USA in a primer grey ‘55 Chevy – Check out Dennis Wilson as the mechanic, James Taylor as the driver, in the “Two Lane Blacktop” film .
Providing power and performance on street, strip and track to this day for a myriad of motors, from one-off specials to customs, classics, hot-rods and racers – the Chevy V8 is an engine for which parts are plentiful and apparently it is easy to work on, just watch:
Chevy Small-Block V8 Engine Rebuild Time-Lapse:
Listen, revel and be immersed in a mix of the best rock and roll and rockabilly, blended with the London sub-culture sounds, broadcasting 24/7 on online radio and social media